Sustainability on Campus

Commitment

Glendale Community College (GCC) is a strong proponent of sustainability with many initiatives in place which are actively supported by students, faculty and staff. In line with GCC’s commitment to sustainability, we have pledged to be carbon neutral by 2025 through the signing of the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment in 2011.

The Sustainability Board, chaired by Vice President of Administrative Services, Augustine Erpelding, works with the Green Efforts Committee, Environmental Club, and academic members of the Sustainability degree & certificate programs to incorporate sustainable ideas and programs in the administration of the college.

The list of sustainability efforts at the main and North campuses have continued to flourish through the years, for example:

Energy conservation

The college implemented temperature set points, converted to LED light bulbs, uses hybrid vehicles as well as sensors, innovated with LEED-designed buildings, improved HVAC efficiency, used locally sourced building materials, and participated in partnerships for electric vehicle charging stations, Salt River Project (SRP) Energy Reduction Program, and the upcoming Solar Select Project.

Sustainable Cafeteria

Provided Meatless Monday food offerings, compostable utensils, recycled coffee beans for gardening, and promoted the use of reusable cups.

Bee Campus USA Affiliate

GCC is an affiliate of the Bee Campus USA program, designed to marshal the strengths of educational campuses for the benefit of pollinators. GCC was the first college in Arizona to be named a Bee Campus and joins with other campuses across the country who are united in improving their landscapes for pollinators.

Maricopa Native Seed Library at GCC Main Library

The Maricopa Native Seed Library provides free native seeds to the. community and education and information to make it easy to incorporate these plants into your yards, patios, and balconies. Anyone can include native plants in their residences, whether they have a lot of space or a small apartment. Growing native plants helps conserve water and prevent drought.

Greenhouse Gas Emission Efforts

GCC has developed a Climate Action Plan to minimize its Greenhouse Gas Emissions and incorporated sustainability metrics into its strategic plan.

The state-mandated Trip Reduction Program provides discounted bus passes and other commuting alternative opportunities (telecommuting, carpooling, vanpooling, bike racks) to its employees and students to help lessen emissions.

Earth Day Celebrations

GCC celebrates Earth Day every spring semester involving students, faculty, and staff. Typical celebrations involve sustainable vendors and guest speakers to educate all stakeholders on sustainability.

Water conservation

GCC installed landscaping that does not require irrigation, used environmentally friendly chemicals & cleaners, and partnered with the City of Glendale and SRP for a Water Conservation project.

Plastic & paper use reduction

Installed water bottle fill stations across campus, worked with vendors to increase aluminum cans vs. plastic use and engaged in a campus-wide paper-reduction pledge. Recycling & waste reduction Led the electronic recycling events, zero waste program, and co-mingled recycling bins across campus.

Celebrating Success

Through our campus-wide commitment to sustainability, GCC has won awards for many of our programs and is working on lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

Get more information

To learn more about the sustainability efforts of the Maricopa County Community College District, please visit the MCCCD Sustainability page.